


Between the Waves

by amordantia



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Don't copy to another site, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Forests, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Minor Injuries, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 05:27:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17595401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amordantia/pseuds/amordantia
Summary: Credence's home is the waves, the crash of the tide and call of the sea.He's curious, however, ever so curious about the cottage-dwellers by the sea. They're funny folk, walking on legs, and one in particular makes Credence flustered.He wonders and wonders, and wonders still, if he could meet those funny humans. Maybe one day, he will.





	Between the Waves

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short drabble I'm happy to share with you!  
> It's a brief break from the block I'm experiencing with another major fic and time away from one I recently posted.  
> I hold mermaids near and dear to my heart, so this may be expanded in the future and more merman!Credence (or even selkie!Credence) fics may come in the near future.  
> Enjoy!!

The night was a calm one, the only movement of water caused by miniscule ripples, resulting from back and forth movement of a long tail.

The merman sighed as he watched the lights of the only cottage for miles flicker as though waving for him to join. He tilted his head, his short black hair falling downward. He heard laughter from the cottage, a bubbling thing that sounded sweeter than any music his family had ever sung. An ache settled in his bones at the thought of his family, forced to flee from the beautiful shores of their home when guards moved in and threatened them. Of course, that was many years ago. Credence conceded his family still resented most humans for the act of one group, yet acknowledged there were benevolent ones out there.

Credence considered the idea for a moment, his blue tail stilling as he thought. His clawed hands idly drew circles in the rock he sat upon, the patterns glowing a brilliant blue a moment after. He liked to think his humans --that is to say, the ones in the cottage-- were benevolent. They certainly seemed happy, anyway.

He watched the lights for a while longer until they were snuffed out and the moon had likewise been hidden behind drifting clouds. With another sigh and flick of his tail, Credence returned to the depths of his watery home.

* * *

 

The following morning brought Credence back to his usual spot, though he resided there in the evenings when he wasn't helping to hunt. He felt a tiredness wash over him as easily as the tide washed over the sand, but forced his eyes open to watch the humans run about their lives.

A heavy set little man aided a leaner, taller one with herding strange-looking horse-like, bird-like creatures into an area in the surrounding woods. Two women, one with light hair and the other dark, though both styles of short length to Credence's surprise, picked produce from the garden resting alongside the cottage. Credence's heartrate accelerated as he saw his favorite human, a tall and brooding figure, exit the house to speak with the two women. For a moment, Credence felt the dangerous allure to sing. While his voice, like any merperson's, could be used to lull and cure the injured or sick, it could also be used to lure and capture if he wasn't careful.

He watched the humans, tracking the tide's movement to ensure his wakefulness, until he succumbed to sleep. He was awoken by shouts from voices he knew didn't belong to the nice cottage-dwellers and by the time he was lucid enough to attempt escape, a net had been lowered from a rocking pirate ship.

Credence scrambled to free himself from the black knitting, the side of his tail catching on a stray, ragged fish hook. He bit back a cry of pain and felt the net loosen its hold. Not questioning the action, he jumped into the water. His tail throbbed agonizingly and he glanced down to see the purplish red blood of his tail flitter, uncaring, to the water around him. Credence whimpered as he swam the remaining short distance to shore, shuddering to think of the impossible task of diving downward to his home.

His head swivelled around when he heard footfalls behind him and fear seized his heart in its ugly hand, before he recognized the figures as the cottage-dwellers. They were shouting in a language Credence couldn't comprehend, pointing sticks at the pirate ship. Thankfully, the ship departed soon after, though Credence felt a swell of uncertainty in his chest at how his rescuers might react to him.

The two men who came to his aid were the lean, ginger one, and --Credence realized with strengthed nervousness-- the handsome, brooding one. They were speaking again, though the language still nonsensical, in a gentler tone than what they used on the pirates. Credence, glancing back out at the undisturbed, calm ocean, admitted to himself he couldn't return until he was healed. He held his arms up, wrapping them around the handsome man's neck and wincing at the way his clothes brushed against Credence's elbow fins and scales.

Suddenly, an idea formed in Credence's mind, one of an old fairytale his Gran had told him that kissing a human, particularly one who could do magic, could grant an understanding of their speech. Of course, it came at the cost of losing one's alluring singing voice for a time, but only for a given time instead of indefinitely. Armed with the memory of the old tale, Credence leaned up to lock his mouth with the handsome man's. A buzzing sounded in his ears, followed by a tingling in his mouth.

Like magic, he could hear the other man exclaim, "Merlin! Why did he do that?! Percival, are you alright?"

Credence laughed, then, unwrapping his arms from the man's neck, "I know your language!" The two men, the one Credence had kissed, Percival, glanced at each other at his words. He turned them over in his head, curious to know if his inflection was incorrect. Before he could ponder much more, though, the other man asked, "What's your name? Why did kissing Percival let you understand our language?"

Credence, the pain from the wound on his tail returning, winced, but replied, "My name is Credence. It was a guess, on my part, that kissing your friend would give me your language. I apologize.. I should have asked."

Percival looked worriedly at him, glancing at the deep cut on his tail, "Nevermind that, Credence. We need to get you cleaned up and healed."

Credence grew elated at the suggestion and after maneuvering to reach the odd stick he carried, Percival flicked it and Credence felt lighter. Percival picked him up with ease, beginning the slight climb to the cottage.

"I can take the form of your kind," Credence explained, "Once I'm fully healed, though no one in my family has done it for a very long time."

Percival nodded at that, "But don't feel you have to, Credence, we can bring you back to the water."

Credence felt his face burn as he mumbled, "Well, I've wanted to meet you cottage-dwellers for a while now, I just haven't struck up the courage to change forms."

Percival didn't reply, only muttered something that suspiciously sounded like "cottage-dwellers" under his breath. He brought Credence into the house, followed closely by his friend. Credence was shocked to see the house was much, much bigger on the inside. Two staircases, to the left and right, led to two diverging hallways, while the main entrance split off into a dining room and kitchen to the left with a sitting room on the right. There seemed to be another door in the sitting room, though Credence couldn't quite tell over Percival's shoulder. The man in question carried Credence into the sitting room, waving his wand once more and creating a sizeable bathtub. He gestured to his friend, "Newt, could you get the water?"

Newt waved a different looking stick in the air and water poured from the tip, splashing in the tub. Once full, Percival lowered Credence into it, though kept his wound from touching the water.

"Well, Credence, let's get you patched up."


End file.
